DHAKA, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from cyclone Sidr which hit Bangladesh's southern and southwestern coastal areas on Nov. 15 night, climbed to 3,256 Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman for the Army said.

Armed Forces Division Lt Col Farooq Hossain was quoted by private news agency UNB as saying that, some 8.5 million people have been affected by the Nov. 15 storm.

He told reporters that helicopters and C-130, AN 32 and LCT cargo planes airlifted 262.34 tons of relief materials for the cyclone victims on Wednesday.

So far, 1277.34 tons of relief goods were airlifted and delivered to the affected areas in the coastal districts.

The cyclone Sidr, one of the fiercest cyclones that hit Bangladesh in the last 131 years, slammed the country's southern coastal areas, affecting 30 out of total 64 districts and leaving millions homeless.